


The Aftermath

by faithfulDiscord



Series: Hometale????? Understuck????? [4]
Category: Homestuck, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, Flashbacks, Friendship, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22092802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithfulDiscord/pseuds/faithfulDiscord
Summary: Sans finds himself home alone when a friend stops by.
Series: Hometale????? Understuck????? [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1302863
Kudos: 26





	The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been working on this off and on for a while now and Ive just now got it done but either way. I hope you guys like it!

The day is warm and the house is quiet for now. Papyrus is out with the kid for a school function. It was just too many people and monsters for Sans comfort level. He knows that his brother can handle it.

Papyrus just so cool like that.

Sans debates going outside into the pool but is pulled from the thought when someone knocks on the door. He has a feeling he knows who it is. 

Standing in his doorway is the infamous Dave Strider. Sunglasses and all but everything else he is wearing makes San's eyebrow arch in question. 

His shorts have bright pink flowers on them, his shirt is an atrocious neon yellow, and on each arm are bright orange floaties that somehow match the towel thrown over his shoulder.

"Hey man." He walks in without explaining anything. Sans is hard pressed to not just shrug and let Dave do what he wants but he's honestly curious as to what Dave is doing. 

"Strider." He tries to keep a serious face on but he's close to laughing, "What are you wearing?"

"You have a pool, right? I know you're made of bone and everything but you can't be that dense." 

Sans laughs at the joke and shakes his head, "Yeah, I got that but don't you live like two blocks away from the city pool?"

Dave's usual demeanor falls just enough for Sans to honestly worry about him. They've been friends for a couple months now and Sans feels like he's gotten pretty good at measuring Dave's moods. He almost wants to say that Dave is acting shy but with how little tells he has, it's hard to tell for sure.

Sans wishes he could say he doesn't expect the "causal" shrug he gets from Dave but he'd be lying to himself. "Nevermind dude. Just figured with everyone being out we could hang or something. I knew I should have called first." Dave turns to leave before Sans can get a word out, "Tell Pap I said hi, okay?"

_ Ping _

Sans does it without thinking and quickly let's it go but he can see the strain in Dave's shoulders and the pause before he looks back at the skeleton.

He knows what Dave saw. 

Another flash of the judgement hall. He doesn't want to think about how many times Dave has seen this play out. 

He's the monster in all the narratives, he knows that and has almost accepted it. Sans plasters on the smile and wonders in the back of his head if his eyelights have grown dimmer.

"Yeah, cool. I'll let him know you stopped by." Sans grabs for the door and before it shuts completely there is a foot and a hand there to stop it. 

The moment drags with the silence, he knows they should talk about it but Sans can't get himself to tear his gaze away from Dave's foot.

"Scars." 

Sans puts his hand down from the door and takes a breath he really doesn't need before looking up. Dave looks more like himself and less insecure. "What?"

Dave drops his hand and moves his foot and shrugs, he can tell it's all an act but Dave has been working on it. "That's why I don't go to the public one. People suck and I don't feel like explaining something that no one understands. I have some that aren't… Kid friendly I guess."

He backs away from the door and watches as Dave cautiously takes a couple steps into the skeleton's home. San's should have known that's why Dave is here. Everyone has scars. Even Papyrus has the scar in the middle of his vertebrae but no one knows how they got them, they just accept it as how they are. Sans has almost convinced his brother that it's a birthmark.

It's always heartbreaking to see the far away look on Papyrus' face when Sans sees him look at it. 

"Sans? Are you okay?" 

Dave's voice is a lot closer than he thought it was, he keeps from jumping but just barely.

He must have zoned out. "Yeah. Uh...Sorry for the uh…" He makes a vague gesture with his hand and hopes Dave gets it. 

"You're fine man. So do you want to chill with me or do you need me to leave?" This time it's an actual question from a worried friend and not just Dave being insecure. Sans can't help but find it comforting.

"No, stay. I wanted to get in the pool before Pap came home anyways. Might as well make like bats and hang." The snort from Dave makes the day a little better. Sans points Dave in the right direction for the backyard before going upstairs and swapping out his clothes for trunks. 

He's about to grab a tank top before he thinks about it but stops himself. Sans knows the large scar over his sternum and ribs haven't faded. He doesn't think it will honestly but he also knows Dave won't judge. He won't ask questions. He won't be turned into a spectacle.

Sans grabs a towel for himself before walking downstairs and stepping into the sun. He finds the bright neon yellow shirt and orange towel thrown over a nearby lawn chair that Pap likes to sunbathe on. 

He has a feeling today is going to be a good day. 

"Yo, Sans you coming in or what?" Dave leaning against the side.

Sans finds the rubber duck near the chair and throws it at where he thinks Dave is. From the yelled "Hey!" Sans knows he hit his mark. 

"Always swim with a buddy, Dave."

The snort from Dave, helps him relax into himself again. He puts the towel down and climbs the ladder to jumping in. The cool water is almost like a balm to the otherwise scorching day, it helps bring everything down, including the build up of tension in his spine. The blue waves around him, Dave's neon shorts are all washed out. 

His eyes shut and lets himself enjoy the quiet. Even his usual overactive mind is taking a backseat for a little bit. He just let's himself be, just for a little bit. 

A strong hand grabs his wrist, he's not sure what's happening. He Sans looks around frantically as he is submerged, he doesn't want to fight. He doesn't-

He's greeted by dark sunglasses, and even through the dark plastic panic is etched into Dave's face. He doesn't seem to be breathing and the grip on his wrist is starting to ache.

Sans puts his hand on Dave's cheek and he can feel when his eyes have finally stopped moving. "Dave, you need to breathe. I'm fine."

The first breath is sucked in through his gritted teeth but it's better than nothing. "Good. Even breaths. In and out, Dave. I want you to breathe through your nose for 5 counts and then out for 5. Can you do that for me?" 

His nod is barely there but Sans is glad that he's listening. 

"I'll count, just follow me." Sans starts to count slowly. After the first couple sets, Dave's hand slowly loosens and the tense set of his shoulders finally fall. 

It's quiet as Dave calms down. His breaths are even and deep. 

"Hey, you okay?" Sans is the first one to talk. 

He breaths out once more before nodding, "Yeah...Sorry…"

"Don't be. Want to talk about it?" 

Dave let's go of Sans wrist finally and looks off to the side. This isn't the first time and nor will it be the last, that they have comforted each other. "You were underwater for a while… It… scared me."

"Oh" No wonder Dave panicked. Sans didn't even think to tell him that skeletons don't actually need air. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it."

Sans should have known. He knows how many times Dave has seen his friends and his family die. Hell he would have acted the same way and Dave is practically a _god_. 

Dave shakes his head, "It's fine. Just warn me next time…"

"Yeah… Sure." Before he can say he's sorry again Dave picks up the rubber duck and chucks it at Sans. He finds himself laughing as he dodges the attack. 

His chuckles die down, both of them just enjoying the cool water. "Hey uh-...Dave, come here. I want to show you something." He's not sure why this is so awkward for him but he has a feeling it'll help.

Dave swims over and bobs in the water next to him. Sans snorts knowing Dave is able to touch the ground of the pool. "What's up?" 

"Ever check someone?"

His head tilts just a small fraction, "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever checked someone's stats before?" 

Dave is silent for a second. 

"No? Can you do that? Can _everyone_ do that?"

Sans isn't sure why but the line of questions makes him laugh, it helps with his own awkwardness and the helplessness of someone checking you. 

"Nah, man. Just Boss Monsters and the kid but I don't think anyone really does it anymore. It's also just kind of rude to randomly check someone, especially now since there aren't battles."

"Okay. Are you gonna show me?" 

Sans shrugs, "If you want me to. If you check me I'll be able to check you and vice versa. So it's up to you whether or not you want to know."

"Sure. Might be useful." Dave shrugs in response but Sans can tell that he's curious now. 

Sans comes a little closer to Dave and taps his own chest right over his heart, "Okay. Just concentrate right here." 

Sans tried to keep himself from shifting, having Dave's intent concentration on his scar feels like a bad idea but after a moment he feels it. The quiet ting in his head of being checked. He looks down at Dave's chest, he has a feeling Dave also feels the ting when he gets checked as well. 

Sans wishes what he saw was comforting. 

**Dave Strider aka** **turntechGodhead**

**He's a literal god.**

**LV: infinite HP: ?????/????**

Sans watches as Dave's eyebrows crease above his shades. He knows what Dave is looking at. 

**Sans**

**1 ATK 1 DEF**

**Easiest Enemy**

**Can only deal 1 damage**

**LV: ????**

The check lets up and the ensuing silence is oppressing. 

"You can ask Dave." Sans isn't sure which question he's going to get but he doesn't want to tiptoe around this anymore.

He watches as Dave stares at him, Sans can tell he's going through Judgement Hall. All of the rounds. All of his deaths. All of the kids. 

"You're really something else, Sans." 

He doesn't ask because he doesn't have to. Dave understands it. He _sees_ it. Even the not actually there timelines he sees. 

Sans takes a second to actually _look_ at Dave for the first time. On his pale skin there are marks. None of them faded. All looking around the same age. Neck, chest, arms almost every square inch covered in scars. The flashes hurt, the time loops give him a headache but he gets it. He understands what needed to be done.

He almost wants to crack a joke, make the tension leave but he knows it needs to be said. 

"I'm really glad you came over today, Dave."


End file.
